Botulism is a serious and often fatal toxin; in fact, it is one of the most lethal toxins on the plant, according to the World Health Organization. A small amount can kill an adult. But not many people know that the symptoms of botulism infection in an infant are different from symptoms in adults and older children. How do you know your infant has a botulism infection?
Clostridium botulinum is the bacteria that produces the botulism toxin. The bacteria produces spores to ensure its survival; the spores are heat-resistant with a protective coating. Under certain circumstances, mainly an anaerobic environment (one without oxygen) such as in canned foods, and when the pH of a food is above 4.6, such as in vegetables, the spores produce the toxin.
Adults and older children can contract a botulism infection when they eat foods that are contaminated with the toxin. If a canned food wasn’t properly prepared, or if the pH of a canned food is higher, such as in canned meats or potatoes, it can contain the toxin. The viscera, or guts, of fish can also contain the toxins, which is why it’s illegal to sell larger uneviscerated fin fish. The only way to destroy the botulism toxin is with heat; foods need to be heated to 185°F for several minutes; this is much higher than the typical 165°F that most foods require to be safe to eat.
In infants, when they are fed food that contains the spores, not the toxin, the spores produce the toxin in the child’s large intestines. Honey is typically the medium for this infection, but an outbreak of infant botulism linked to a powdered infant formula has occurred.
Unlike adult botulism, where symptoms typically appear within 12 to 36 hours, infant botulism can take weeks to manifest. The first symptom to appear is typically constipation, but parents may notice other symptoms first, such as difficulty feeding (sucking and swallowing), a weak and different cry, and loss of muscle tone, along with loss of head control and decreased facial expression. If untreated, infants can suffer a progressive, flaccid paralysis that can lead to breathing difficulties. These babies typically require weeks of hospitalization.
There is a treatment for infant botulism. The antitoxin BabyBIG® is the only FDA-approved treatment for infant botulism. The California Department of Public Health led the development of this compound in the 1990s. BabyBIG® reduces the length of hospital stays and treatment costs for infants with botulism.
Now that you know the symptoms of infant botulism, you can get help for your child as soon as possible for the best outcome. Let your doctor know your worries about the symptoms and that they may be botulism.
